He's a Runner
Chasing Tomorrow: Unraveling the Heartache in 'He's a Runner'
Lyrics
He's a runner
He habitually flees situations.
and he'll run away
He will escape.
soon there'll be no man
In the future, no man will be left.
woman ain't be born
No woman exists who can keep him.
who can make him stay
Women cannot make him remain.
woman get away while you can
Women are advised to leave while they can.
He's a runner
Reiteration of his tendency to flee.
and he'll run away
He will escape.
with the midnight train
He'll depart via the midnight train.
woman ain't been born who
No woman has the ability to make him remain.
can make him stay
Even on the day of judgment or during rain, he'll leave.
come the judgment day
A repeated emphasis on his inclination to flee.
come the rain
Regardless of circumstances, he'll escape.
he's a runner
Confirmation of his habit of fleeing.
There'll come the runnin'
He will eventually run away.
He'll know he's got to
He'll realize the necessity to leave.
don't ask him not to or why
Don't request him to stay or inquire why.
Oh why oh why did you
Expressing sorrow for being abandoned.
leave me
Questioning why he left for the future.
and run off with tomorrow?
The speaker feels restrained or imprisoned.
now I 'm in chains
This sense of confinement continues until death.
till I die
-
He's a runner
Reiteration of his habitual fleeing.
and he'll run away
He will escape.
soon there'll be no man
In the future, no man will be left.
woman ain't be born who
No woman exists who can keep him.
can make him stay
Women cannot make him remain.
woman get away while you can
Women are advised to leave while they can.
he's a runner
Reiteration of his tendency to flee.
he's a runner
Reiteration of his habitual fleeing.
and he's got to run away
He feels compelled to escape.
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